from copenhagen, we went for about an hour bus ride to malmo,sweden’s southernmost city through the oresund bridge. malmo is small, charming and hip.

oresund bridge photo from the web

we were fortunate to be there on the eve of malmo festival, an annual week-long festivity that started in 1985. it is attended by over a million people from all over scandinavia.

we visited sankt petri kyrka (st peter’s church), a 13th century church and the largest brick structure in the city. interior is luxuriantly ornate, exquisite high altar and richly decorated side chapels. magnificent murals adorn the ceiling. a big plus was to watch the malmo symphony orchestra practicing for a grand performance to mark the start of the festival. what a delightful treat!

the old town of cobblestone streets was where the action was. abuzz, swinging and lively. all the restaurants were open, lots of food stalls, live band, street arts and performances. happy people all around. not too crowded, mostly locals because the throng of tourists have not yet arrived. it was a lovely evening and the weather was perfect. we just found ourselves in a big awesome party for free. we couldn’t have picked a better day. it was malmo at its best!